524 



Oil Mismanagement of Farm-Horses. 



cases can only be accounted for on the supposition that the 

 stomach and intestines become after a time accustomed to the 

 stimulus of one particular sort of food, which the alimentary 

 secretions soon become peculiarly adapted to digest. If food of 

 an entirely different sort be substituted, some time is required 

 before the digestive system responds perfectly to its stimulus, or 

 the secretions become fitted for its easy and speedy digestion. 

 Jn a few exceptional cases, in animals of peculiar constitution, 

 and in regard to particular articles of food, this adaptation to the 

 change of food does not occur at all, or only very tardily. 



Before leaving the important subjects of insufficient and im- 

 proper food we shall briefly recapitulate the following practical 

 conclusions, deducible from the various subdivisions we have 

 adopted in the consideration of the present head. To preserve 

 farm-horses in health and vigour, their food must be of sufficient 

 quantity and nutritiveness ; it must be given at short intervals ; it 

 must not be too large in quantity, or too rich in quality ; it must 

 be in good preservation ; and it must be changed only with great 

 care, and by slow degrees. 



2. Overwork. — Farm-horses, as a class, are not so frequently 

 overworked as some sorts of horses. Their work is constant, but 

 slow ; and the hours of labour, although occasionally too long, 

 are on the whole tolerably regular. Their diet also, in most of the 

 best-farmed districts of the country, is liberal ; and considerable 

 care is paid to their general comfort. Under such management 

 the horses are vigorous and healthy ; and although their work may 

 occasionally for a short time be severe, and the times of labour 

 too protracted, still in adult seasoned horses this seldom of itself 

 gives rise to disease. Very different, however, is the case where 

 the animals are habitually overworked, especially when at the 

 same time subjected to a deficient system of diet, bad housing, or 

 the breathing of impure air. In such circumstances, overwork 

 speedily and certainly reduces the strength and vigour, and be- 

 comes the exciting cause of some diseases, and the predisposing 

 cause of others ; the evil consequences induced occasionally 

 occurring during the undue exertion, but more frequently some 

 time after. 



Amongst the most common and certain consequences of over- 

 work are general depression of the vital energies and loss of 

 natural vivacity and of condition. Loss of condition renders the 

 horse very liable to galls from the collar and saddle, which are 

 cured with difficulty, from the small amount of muscle and 

 adipose tissue covering the bones, and from continuance of the 

 hard work. The exhaustion engendered by overwork powerfully 

 predisposes to many diseases. Inflammation of the various parts 

 of the pulmonary apparatus, ophthalmia, and glanders, are, cceteris 



